The Health Secretary struggles to tell us how many CEOs there are in NHS Â England and seeks more money to get the waiting lists down without saying how the money will be spent or by how much waiting lists will fall.
The Transport Secretary presides over a railway sending largely empty trains around  the country making huge losses, told by the railway management they need to carry on with the same timetables and same cost base as pre pandemic.
The Home Secretary tells the Home Office to stop the people smuggling and trafficking, approves more resources and a new Channel Command, Â but the numbers keep coming.
Government has been made much less responsive by the theory of independent bodies run by civil servants or CEOs who seek to keep Ministers at arms length. NHS England, Network Rail and Border Force have their own powers and independence when it suits. When something goes wrong they expect Ministers to vote more money and take the blame.
Given the growing gap between what the public wants and what some of these independent bodies deliver, Ministers need to take more control. Change, better service and more value for  money is needed. The NHS needs to get the waiting lists down, the railways need to tailor services to changed demand and border force needs to stop the illegals.
I will be writing several blogs about the productivity problem in the public sector, the myth of independent bodies and the need to reset management and aims of important services.
November 21, 2021
âWho is in chargeâ? Good question – and one we are all asking.
At present, it often doesn’t seem as if there is anyone in charge. We tend to get soothing platitudes, but not much action.
November 21, 2021
An incomplete Brexit. The economy destroyed by lockowns. Plans for more economic destruction from anti global warming virtue signalling policy. Higher taxes to fund more wasteful spending. Increasing the population by importing costly illegal immigrants.
Not a Manifesto I would have voted for.
November 21, 2021
Thank you CYNIC. Me neither.
November 21, 2021
Agree
November 21, 2021
Since Cummings left the Govt. has been rudderless and open to civil service left wing abuse, with Carrie filling his void with her mates ie crap 26 and net stupid, green Goldsmith given a lordship to get him in govt. or to stay in his holiday house, Javid- who has failed in every minister post he has held, then the debacle around the press Secretary and scrapped. I think one of the news channel counted how many U-turns Johnson has made, it is something like 145. How many Govt. czars or task forces has this govt appointed to avoid ministerial blame? I thought about 242 new NHS chiefs appointed on over ÂŁ242 k a year! BBC licence reform! Socialist budgets, Economy, Taxation etc the list of failings is endless.
As we saw throughout Chinese virus he could not keep a decision longer than a day but was willing to break it himself whenever he wanted ie Christmas lunch for Carrieâs BFF while people not allowed to be beside loved ones death beds, go to their funeral etc etc. But still Fake Tory party waved through authoritarian covid dictatorship rules!
November 21, 2021
Well said. We voted Conservative/conservative.
We’ve got Establishment/Metropolitan left-wing/Eco lunacy.
And Johnson has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he is incapable of fulfilling the role of Prime Minister. He cannot develop a credible, coherent, policy agenda and stick to it.
The day the current Mrs Johnson forced Cummings out is when the Johnson Government was holed below the waterline.
November 21, 2021
+1 – economic and political insanity from Carrie & Boris.
November 21, 2021
Sir John must find a way of taking her out to lunch and giving her tutorials, on everything. If that party were properly educated then the rest might fall into place.
November 21, 2021
I don’t mean this as a joke.
November 21, 2021
Indeed Cynic.
November 21, 2021
I think Jennifer Arcuri may have a pretty good idea of who’s in charge. And it isn’t Boris Johnson.
November 21, 2021
CG – The country would perform far better without 650MPs and so called government. Why do we need them?
November 21, 2021
CG – I forgot to mention a total clear out of the Establishment Civil Service.
November 21, 2021
Well we clearly haven’t used them for months and months….
November 21, 2021
The government is supposedly in charge. If employees (the civil servants) or independent bodies are not following orders then the government is still to blame, as they have the means to change it. This has been a running sore for many years and caused many problems after we voted for Brexit. Why do governments accept it and do nothing?
I am beginning to think democracy and honesty in Parliament was killed off by Heath in 1972, and it has been downhill ever since (with the occasional sop to the electorate). The politicians got away with the biggest anti-democratic act in 1972, and see no reason to change. I know we had a referendum shortly afterwards, but honesty was still in very short supply, and the status quo always has a massive advantage.
Sadly, I can see the same thing happening again and again. Democracy is definitely under threat, both here and in other western countries.
November 21, 2021
Democracy is under threat. But do not worry. We have read our history. We know what you are up to and we will not let you destroy it.
November 21, 2021
FFS, Andy.
Total reversal of reality as usual. BTW. You will not get revenge. Most of the people you hate will be dead before you can hurt them.
The demographic bulge on which mass immigration was justified is temporary… or at least it WAS … until we started mass immigration (or don’t immigrants get old ?)
November 22, 2021
About time you started the march Andy, do tell when and where – I’d love to attend and heckle.
November 21, 2021
Nobody will admit to being in charge because we are all being groomed by an abusive, coercive government.
If this was a personal relationship, self-defence would be valid justification for getting rid of the lot of them.
November 21, 2021
If you are in charge you have to be accountable hence NO one is in charge as such.
November 21, 2021
A very good question and it certainly is not Boris
As several commentators are writing , there is no economic plan , no coherent strategy for energy . The NHS flounders about with incompetent CEOs and Trust Boards …………
The Tory Party is famously ruthless: it needs to get its knives out and sharpen them right speedily for a change of leader
November 21, 2021
Which leader do you have in mind? I can’t see an heir apparent waiting in the wings. John would be a good choice but it will never happen. I’m not being cynical, I’m genuinely interested to know of any suitable candidates.
November 21, 2021
There is talk of Sunak- I’m not sure about him .I don’t know what he really believes/stands for . I am intrigued by Liz Truss?
I think intellectually Gove has it but he has been too disloyal
November 21, 2021
Gove appears to be neither a unionist nor a Brexiteer.
November 21, 2021
Being reptilian is not a qualification for PM.
November 21, 2021
Sunakâs first action (before covid) was to cut entrepreneur’s CGT tax relief by 90% since then he has increased taxes and regulations massively and supports the net zero insanity and even funds HS2 and restaurant dinners, clearly mad. Gove even suggested removing private schools charity status and putting 20% VAT on fees. Both are clearly idiotic, scientifically illiterate socialists. One read PPE the other English.
November 21, 2021
Christine
With what we have had to contend with for eleven years Sir John that is I assume the John you have in mind, ticks all the boxes for lots of people.
November 21, 2021
ruthless? – more asleep on their watch. Successive cabinets nod in agrement like sheep running into the field from the lorry.
November 21, 2021
@David Peddy
I’d agree the sharp knives are badly needed, but there is no one person in the cabinet I would trust to replace Boris, except for perhaps Frost, and he is likely uneligible.
I don’t see anybody that could become a good leader, except some of the old guard.
The government/Parliament have set themselves at an angle to reality and what the public need – They will not change with a new leader from within the same group of Tory elites.
November 21, 2021
In the UK the PM is absolutely not meant to be in charge.
Parliament is.
As for the Tory party, it’s never really been the PM either, has it?
November 21, 2021
There is not a single member of the cabinet (from where the next leader will no doubt come) in whom I have any confidence. They have ALL proved to be useless, cowardly and treacherous. The government will only do the right thing if they fear losing power if they don’t, which is why I have switched my support to Reform UK.
It was the support for UKIP which forced Cameron to offer an EU referendum, it was the support for the Brexit Party which forced May out, and it will only be by supporting Reform UK that we will be able to force the Conservative Party to adopt conservative policies. They may need to lose office first, to teach them a lesson, but eventually they’ll get the message!
November 21, 2021
Either that or vote Labour (which I’m going to do) as punishment for lying to us in a manifesto and then out-labouring Labour.
I’m at a loss to work out the Conservative Party USP.
We have to go further into the hole to get out of it. The death of one party will beget the death of the other.
It is clear that the Tory Party is lethal to the British people.
November 21, 2021
The larger an organisation the more important that accountability is clear and undivided, and that there is no authority without accountability for outcomes.
As the largest organisations in the country, the U.K. public sector should be rigorously following these principles.
Margaret Thatcher made some progress with her Financial Management Initiative (even she couldnât persuade the Civil Service that what was really needed was a Management Initiative), but since then it has all been downhill. Dominic Cummings had the right idea that fundamental change is essential. But not the right approach to achieve the change.
There are many lessons to be learnt from the Public Sector in other countries such as Australia and Singapore.
November 21, 2021
John’s instincts are absolutely correct but he’s very much a lone voice in a party that is part of the problem not a panacea to the widespread politicisation of the State and the public services it is meant to provide
The British State, the political public sector and all of the State’s attendant public bodies have become a privileged and protected vested interest in their own right. They will fight to protect that hard won status to the point of intimidation, violence and discrimination
The private sector is now owned by the State and does the State’s bidding. This is dangerous territory indeed.
There is no separation of powers within the body politic and our masters have become threatening and intimidatory.
I watched Neil Oliver last night. In 5 mins of an emotional condemnation of what we are seeing he exposed the sheer brutality and evil of the western political class. That evil was planted in 1997
We need to remove politics from our civil world before it destroys us. The British State must be reformed and public spending must be slashed. The more the State spends of our money the more powerful it becomes and the weaker we get. MT warned of this decades ago when she cruised into power. Her wise words and her wise actions are now so badly needed
November 21, 2021
Dom, it is getting concerning what you say, thanks for the tip about Neil Oliver I will try to catch the show today. Even tv advertising is like a brainwashing campaign. I donât watch much terrestrial tv any longer so I hadnât noticed but visiting my parents Iâm seeing how unrepresentative adverts are now in relation to the population mix of the UK.
November 21, 2021
I just hope that all you guys, before watching anything on the GBNews/Neil Oliver website, are manually switching off the almost 600 âlegitimate interestâ requests for information about your tablet/computer/phone that are by default switched on on that particular website.
Otherwise despite your libertarian blah blah blah you are very likely to become just another bah bah sheep of the âinformationâ you will get promoted soon afterwards.
At least as far as I have been able to find out that does not seem to happen after using Sir Johnâs website. Thanks for that.
November 21, 2021
Hef, I am not sure it is information, rather a view, observation or opinion. Take it, leave it or ascertain if there is any substance that lies behind it.
November 21, 2021
Thank you DOM. What a well considered post.
November 21, 2021
Neil Oliver is a marvellous addition to the national conversation. Yesterday, he was “doing the Churchill talk” in his monologue about the medical apartheid situation in Austria and other countries in continental Europe, which Johnson should have made.
He’s more of a conservative leader than the Big Girl’s Blouse in No.10.
November 21, 2021
I currently live in Austria. Did he catch the fact that a couple of days ago the government here said it was considering compulsory vaccination from next spring? They retracted the next day, but it’s horrifying that they think it’s OK to test the waters with this sort of totalitarian policy. There was a big anti vax demo in Vienna yesterday ( 40,000+), despite a tiny violent minority putting off a lot of sympathetic people from attending.
November 22, 2021
Well if 40,000 turned up and you say many more were put off – then Vienna really does have a problem and needs vaccinations. Fully justified.
November 21, 2021
Donna, DOM, et al, I fully endorse your advice to watch Neil Oliver, and to follow on with his discussions with his panel and also the coverage of the Austria fascistic fiasco and its apologists. The quality of his contributions and also the patient, considerate and knowledgable approach the interviews is in total contrast to the MSN harping numbskulls in pursuit of their ‘gotcha’ quotes.
GB News is watchable and it is proving to be most educational. Andrew Neil might now be feeling that he’s been rather hasty in his judgement (or misjudgement).
I do have a worry, and it is because Neil Oliver is proving to be so astute and accurate with his analyses and fearless in his opinions that it might be too easy to lionise him and have our expectations exceed his excellent capabilities.
He is very impressive and not at all smug.
November 21, 2021
As always +1
November 21, 2021
The Channel crisis won’t end until the rewards for those making a ‘home-run’ are removed in their entirety. As the Commons would probably obstruct the legislation needed to put the lid on the honey-jar, we are moving to a 2019-like situation where the majority of MPs are COMPLETELY out of touch with the wishes of the electorate. Electoral disaster now looms for your party.
November 21, 2021
My offer still stands. Iâll buy you a dinghy and will pay for you to get to France. You can then paddle back and see how you get on with claiming all these rewards you say exist.
November 21, 2021
Andy, you say there are no rewards if so why do they come?
Do you not see that being accommodated, fed and looked after for several years is a big benefit draw?
But you are right much more of it and British people may start taking you up on your offer for a Dingy, especially all those homeless men forced to sofa serf and put on friends because they canât get hotel accommodation and meals by rocking up on the beach. We should start demanding that if the government can do this for asylum seekers then we want Brits accommodating and fed exactly the same. Something has got to break the system.
November 21, 2021
They do not come here for benefits. They do not some here for the weather. They certainly do not come here for the welcome from the natives – many of whom, as most of your demonstrate, are frankly nasty.
Genuinely, I would like to send you to Syria, Yemen or Iraq for a few weeks. See how you get on.
November 21, 2021
so when all the countries of the world have war, minor civil violence or economic downturn you would want UK to welcome everybody?
November 21, 2021
What a lovely comment Andy from such a nice, caring person such as yourself, who spreads joy here on a daily basis.
If these people are in such fear for their lives as you imply youâd think theyâd prefer your beloved EU to settle in.
November 21, 2021
Yeh! that’ll work Andy. A British citizen walking up the beach at Dover to claim to be an asylum seeker.
You really ought to be the spokesman for the Raving Loony Party.
November 21, 2021
Old Albino. Funny that but I thought Andy was the spokesperson already. He certainly comes across as a devout and experienced loony.
November 21, 2021
There is a difference between a faux Loony and a real one.
November 21, 2021
“Rewards” are not necessarily monetary, although you seem to be too fixated on finance to perceive that. However much you may dislike the current Government, and for all its faults, the UK still offers a considerable appeal to those who have only known fanatical political or religious authoritarianism and deep-state corruption.
November 21, 2021
Indeed. The UK is an attractive place as it has a reputation of being relatively peaceful, relatively prosperous and relatively democratic.
I note the Brexitists are doing their best to undermine this reputation.
November 21, 2021
SM, indeed, plus the fact that most such people are more likely to have a bit or more of English than of Italian, Greek, Slovak, ⊠German or French, given the predominance of English-speaking channels accessible in most parts of the world.
November 21, 2021
Oui ‘efner, ça c’est vrai.
November 21, 2021
We know they get free food, a hotel suite, medical treatment and ÂŁ35 quid a week to spend on whatever they like.
Do you know what it’s like NOT to have ÂŁ35 a week to spend on yourself, Andy ?
Because (having put my kids through uni and med school) I certainly do.
November 21, 2021
Sea Warrior
In the international law of the sea flying the red flag Bravo tells all shipping that you are discharging explosives and it is they that have to change course to areas of safety.
All that is needed is for Border Force vessels to fly flag Bravo and using high powered rises shoot a hole in the rubber dinghies to puncture them in French waters. The dingy will slowly start to sink and the French navy coastguards can be called upon. If the boats patrol up and down the demarcation line in law the dinghies have to turn about. Our vessels are only applying International Marine Law.
November 21, 2021
Thanks for proving the point that I made earlier about posters here.
November 21, 2021
Turbo – with the token kid aboard each vessel not even I would countenance that.
The ‘asylum seekers’ (a minor problem compared to conventional immigration) are doing us a favour. I could give each one of them a hug.
They have broken through a BBC news blackout. They have shown us that – along with economic incompetence – there is no point in the Conservatives and there is nothing to fear from a Labour government.
Never again be swayed by “Labour will get in if you don’t vote for us.” Who gives a toss now ? The Brexit Party certainly won’t be standing aside to keep Labour out again.
Boris has secured the Tory Party’s place in oblivion for good. The keystone to his Brexit promise has been smashed to smithereens and we shouldn’t care if it’s the Civil Service that has done it.
Either do the job or resign and blow the whistle.
November 21, 2021
Good morning.
Competition, competition, competition !
If you want better services make the Public Sector compete. I know this works because I worked on a short contract in the early nineties for a local authority. I was responsible for looking after the Leisure and amenities and their maintenance. We were working under Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) brought in by the Conservative Government, and was probably Mrs.T’s last policy before she left office. And what a policy !
I witnessed first had at both the laziness and uselessness of State employees. The tails I could tell. But the LA’s maintenance division were the worst, they were still operating as if it was still the 1970’s and it was impossible to get things done. But thanks to CCT outside contractors were encouraged to apply / tender for work and, as a result, we were getting things fixed. Yes it cost probably a bit more but, I would sooner pay more for a job well done than no job at all and, as the LA’s maintenance division were still being paid the LA was paying it anyway.
CCT Really put the fear of god in Local Authority employees and it is why I believe it should be expanded.
November 21, 2021
Mark B
Whilst I agree with the thrust of what you are saying, it is no good paying private business and subcontractors to complete work, if it is not going to be overseen as fit for purpose by someone who has drafted the contract (often not done clearly either)
Too many times now we see exceedingly poor quality work by outside contractors, because no one checks anything any more, just look at the pathetic attempt at pothole repairs, where the repair needs fixing again after just a few months.
Roads which have been completely resurfaced breaking up after 18 months, then of course there is so Called Social Care, where there is not much care at all, because they are all working to a fixed limited time, whilst keeping costs as low as is humanly possible.
November 21, 2021
+1 well said Alan
November 21, 2021
But that was my job. To order and then check the work. If it was not done properly they did not get paid. It worked, it really did.
November 22, 2021
Mark B
I agree absolutely, when I employed subcontractors to work on my projects they were given absolutely clear instructions, in writing, it was talked and walked through on site on the first day, regular unannounced visits were made, and a final inspection completed during the proposed last working day on site.
Reason: Things could be fixed immediately if found to be unsatisfactory, and prompt payment could be made if everything was OK. None of this seemed to happen when dealing with many Local Authorities, it all seemed like vague instructions, endless complications, delays in inspection and payment.
November 22, 2021
+1
November 21, 2021
I agree Mark, I wrote to our local councillor to see how often people were contracted to cut the grass, what the contract said they should do, how often were hedges supposed to be cut back the roads swept etc. How often were pavement meant to be cleared of weeds and the grass cut back to the border? Just what are the contracts awarded especially during lockdown when people could work outside but nothing was being done. I got no answer but the shrubs were cut back shortly afterwards and the grass mowed with all the grass left everywhere.
The council website should list all the contracts awarded and what the companies are supposed to do for our money and the times they are contracted to do these things, then the public could monitor them because the Council donât.
November 21, 2021
Here they just mow over the litter as well !
(The pensioners around here seem to live on high energy drinks and Monster Munch, Andy.)
November 21, 2021
a-tracy
As to my answer to alan. These things need to be checked. But we had more than one contractor on board to do the work. As I say, “Competition. Competition. Competition !”
November 21, 2021
That is a succinct description of modern government pretty well everywhere, I should think.
Sir Humphrey will always look after his fellow Sir Humphreys, first and foremost.
November 21, 2021
Well, talking of âgrowing gapsâ etc I think that all Tory MPs should hie themselves over to Johnsonâs Facebook page. Quickly before the 5.2k comments are deleted.
I thought heâd got the wind up about the Labour lead yet he still puts up daft posts about the bloody âBoosterâ.
Doesnât he âgovernâ by opinion poll? Those comments should give him a pretty good indication of the prevailing zeitgeist.
November 21, 2021
Everhopeful, he is having to put up posts about the booster because people are getting concerned about it, they know people ill requiring time off work after the third jab, a young man has died locally, people are wondering why all the top ups after just six months when most vaccines last a lifetime. Iâm going for mine but Iâm frightened about it. But weâre not allowed to question it, that is most terrifying.
November 21, 2021
Of course you’re allowed to question it. Start reading The Daily Sceptic (run by Toby Young, a Conservative) and do some personal research. It just takes a bit of time and determination to find information which the Global Elite have tried to suppress.
November 21, 2021
A-Tracy : Perhaps you mean the media aren’t allowed to question the booster, you certainly are. Ask for information about adverse effects. Ask what’s in it. You’ll find it’s the same as the first two doses (and how well did they work?). Ask what effect vaccines have on your immune system – will you become increasingly vaccine- dependent, not only against Covid but also against other pathogens? Until you get answers to those questions that satisfy you as a thinking person, don’t take the booster.
November 22, 2021
It is not guaranteed to be the same as the first two – they no longer deploy the Astra Zenica vaccine in the UK.
I had AZ for my first two and Phizer for the booster.
November 21, 2021
+1
Yup!
The sheeple are cottoning on.
How very awkward.
Poor young manâŠ
But where are the voices in Parliament?
November 21, 2021
Everh. : They’re muzzled.
November 22, 2021
a-tracy, vaccines for both for Hepatitis A and B are two jabs six months apart, for tropical diseases only yellow fever protection requires one jab. Cholera requires new jab after 2-3 years. Flu vaccines are given every year to 65+ year old and people with conditions (e.g., asthmatics).
I recently got my third Covid jab, and the doctor in the vaccination centre (Reading Broad Street Mall) was actually very open to questions (Why do you give me a booster of Pfizer/BioNtech whereas my first two jabs were from AstraZeneca?)
I did not get more side effects from that third jab than from the first two (headache for less than 12 hours, sore arm for two days).
I am obviously biased pro-vaccination with a sister, a sister-in-law and a niece working as nurses, with my niece working in ICU. I can only agree with todayâs item âICU is full of the unvaccinated – my patience with them is wearing thinâ, an ICU anonymous nurse, Guardian, 21/11/2021, 09:16.
As for getting information, âthanksâ to the web, it is as easy to find proper information on Covid, vaccines, real treatments as to find anti-vaxx and related info. Unfortunately, it is all in the mind of the readers which sources they decide to access, to read and to trust.
In that respect I would think that contributors on Sir Johnâs website are as balanced on Covid vaccination as they are on climate change đ€Ș
November 21, 2021
Boris does what he is told by the Globalist UK Establishment, like all PMs.
November 21, 2021
+1
November 21, 2021
A great blog JR!
It would seem everybody and nobody is in charge. We know all the quangos love their meetings to arrange a meeting and that no-one likes to make a decision alone – to avoid blame if things donât go right⊠and they rarely do go well!
So, I agree, ministers need to step up to the mark. But quango leaders or civil servants who repeatedly fail, need to go! And not into another department – but go! The threat of the sack – as in the real world of work – might concentrate the mind! A select committee or similar is needed to fire these individuals!
November 21, 2021
Indeed – the recently retired head of the UK Border Force, Mr Paul Lincoln, said that ‘bloody borders’ are ‘just such a pain in the bloody a***’
Must be loads of state sector people who think exactly the same this as payments are so detached from âcustomersâ.
If only we did not have to police borders, deal with and arrest criminals, see or operate on patients, collect the rubbish, teach children, issue driving licences and passports, deliver babies, save children from abusive parents, deal the mental health patients, run trains and buses⊠just think how much more we could then spend on senior staffâs wages, pensions, their nice offices, sick pay and their generous expenses! They could work from home all the time then.
November 21, 2021
Fantastic last paragraph L/L.
November 21, 2021
And expect the pension-less to deliver stuff to you while you hide away at home… and not even bother giving them a tip.
November 21, 2021
Exactly & yet Javid orders the public to âjust respect the NHSâ and the CEO only just appointed seems to be innumerate, not medical and unsuitable. Avoid the sonâs of Bus Drivers is perhaps a good lesson, why on earth did London re-elect Kahn? Such a shame the Tories had so decent candidate.
The transport Sec. even thinks amd states that EVs are âzero emissionâ. Causing a new EV car to be built causes more CO2 than keeping you old car Shapps. Empty trains are less efficient than cars and very expensive. EVs are emissions elsewhere cars! Shapps achieved 5 O levels including wood work & at a very good school plus an HND in finance from Manchester Poly it seems. So perhaps he has a good excuse for not understanding this?
As to huff and puff (but do nothing substantive) Priti Patel you can only do this for so long without looking idiotic dear. Demand the powers to act or resign. Thank goodness the Liverpool bomb (full of ball bearing) did not kill lots mothers and babies & only the bomber.
November 21, 2021
ânoâ decent candidate.
November 21, 2021
+many
Did you notice how in the vid of the bomb going off hardly anyone ran out from the hospital armed with fire extinguishers?
There seemed to be NO emergency plan. No security.
A symptom I imagine of what JR is talking about.
November 21, 2021
Indeed.
From the Sunday Times today.
The public sector has grown at such a rate during the pandemic that it has created about as many jobs as were lost in industries such as hospitality, according to the Bank of Englandâs governor. Andrew Bailey said the state was, in effect, competing against the recovering private sector in a tight labour market by hiring extra workers. âPublic-sector employment has increased â we reckon itâs about 200,000 to 300,000â he said.
Alas most are doing nothing of much of any value to the public, public services are generally dire and declining and many actually do positive harm. Then Ministers have the audacity to complain about poor UK productivity! No wonder when the private sector is taxed to death, endlessly harassed by red tape, have to comply with idiotic employment laws and are forced to use expensive intermittent energy and roads they keep deliberately blocking or ULEZing!
November 21, 2021
+many.
All very true.
November 21, 2021
They were probably running to find the relevant H&S files so that they weren’t risking litigation by acting off their own bat.
November 21, 2021
+1
Yes I hadnât thought of that!
But most likely.
November 21, 2021
I made bigger fireworks out of failed rockets when-I-were-a-lad.
One went off in my face and burnt my hair so far back I looked like a ten-year-old Art Garfunkel without eyebrows.
I said to my brother “Crikey ! Do you think Mum’ll notice ???”
November 21, 2021
Is the answer to give clear performance instructions to senior management. Continuing underperformance can lead to dismissal.
https://www.acas.org.uk/archive/performance-management
November 21, 2021
I would expect the employment law work to be handled by an independent firm of specialist solicitors outside of London. Don’t get me started on #levellingup.
The first performance instruction could be to get ACAS to update its website for “performance management”.
November 21, 2021
Can but almost never does.
November 21, 2021
”Cash-strapped Transport for London â which has received almost ÂŁ5 billion in bailout grants from the Government and still has ÂŁ2 billion gap to plug in order to break even â is offering ÂŁ12 million a year in bonuses to top executives to stop staff departures” order-order
November 21, 2021
The Blob is in charge. The university elite that fanned out ideology for several decades.
The recently retired Border Force (Force ?)chief was a member.
He didn’t believe in borders… and boy, can we tell !
November 21, 2021
The Ministers of State are just can back kings, someone to be the fall guy when things go wrong. They can have ideas and a vision and that is all. It is the people behind the scenes that make it happen or not as the case may be.
Work is sub contracted out to Quangos, another organisation is created to add even more departments to the labyrinth of passages where controls can concealed and power diluted. The chain of command gets longer and incoherent
and each section head or leader ensures they have a person to be their tail gunner to keep their position safe.
This hidden power base never changes even when governments or ministers do. A tidying up of the borders maybe but the critical mass remains the same. No real risk , head down, auto pilot, serve your time, collect pension.
The whole concept of the civil service needs to be re invented with shorter contracts to enable new ideas, changes to be easily implemented. Rise to the vision and direction any new minister may wish to explore.
November 21, 2021
Dan Hannan today:-
âItâs not sleaze that is eroding support for the Conservatives, itâs spending too much.â
Indeed and largely wasting it too & then we have the net zero expensive energy lunacy on top of this and taxes at absurd and absurdly complex levels too.
November 21, 2021
+1
Just to bleat about this againâŠ
In 2020 the IMF told all govts under their control to âSpend, spend, spendâ.
And then later to âTax, tax, taxâ.
So govt is following orders.
But why?
I am genuinely puzzled.
November 21, 2021
Perhaps you should read things not written by idiots?
November 21, 2021
I try on this blog, but they keep coming.
November 21, 2021
Indeed, it didn’t take long for Dan Hannan to secure a place for himself in the Lords – wonder how he managed that? so am not taking any notice of what DH say’s – according to him we should be in the sunny uplands by now – but I don’t see it
November 21, 2021
You say – I will be writing several blogs about the productivity problem in the public sector, the myth of independent bodies and the need to reset management and aims of important services.
Good I get the impression that many in the state sector do far more harm than good. All the duff degrees and student debt (much will end up as grants) for them, test and trace, cop26, HS2 and net zero for obvious examples.
November 21, 2021
The NHS often does more harm than go too so poorly run is it. I know of several examples of this just from my own friends and relatives.
November 21, 2021
+1
Yes. Many ruined lives and no accountability.
I once made a very civilised complaint (to the practice manager) and was told by the GP âWhenever you come here we will find a reason to send you to hospital for testsâ( cruel, because he was privy to my fears)
The same GP whose colleague had gained a black eye from one of the local husbands for routine treatment of wife and whose other colleague had apologised to another villager literally on his knees!
That word âcowardâ springs to mind!
And my complaint was correct. The procedure was changed by the NHS the next year.
November 21, 2021
All the batty policies over many years have led directly to this.
No politician can say that they have not been warned.
Yet it is their authority that has been destroyed by political correctness and NGOs and all such powerhouses.
âWorking beyond authorityâ ( a Common Purpose thing I think) has encouraged all sorts of random individualistic behaviour. Basically a breaking of the rules.
And getting away with it! Allowed to by terrified, cowed âconservativesâ who take horrific personal risks yet denounce any voice of sensible reason.
And sure enough they have destroyed us.
November 21, 2021
All government departments cry for more money when challenged to do the job they’re paid for.
How about some independent auditing to see just where colossal amounts of our money are going.
November 21, 2021
âWho is in chargeâ?
WhyâŠthe Left is in charge.
Look at the US todayâŠit will be us tomorrow.
Encouraged and allowed by a Tory government.
Just to prove that it isnât the âNasty Partyâ.
Nasty is as Nasty does!
November 21, 2021
JR : “Who is in charge?”
An excellent question that many of us have been asking for a long time, never more so than since Johnson became PM and Covid 19 arrived on the scene. Who are the puppet masters giving him and other so-called world leaders their instructions? They certainly aren’t the constituents they were elected to serve. We are witnessing the death of western democracy unless action is taken to stop the remorseless moves to totalitarian tyranny.
November 21, 2021
+ 1 BT
November 21, 2021
You know if we actually had a worthwhile opposition party, the Conservatives would be out of Gov. in a flash. Failure after failure, but it bumbles along interminably.
November 21, 2021
@ Old Albion – the only evident “worthwhile opposition”, cogent, comprehensive and true, is provided by Sir John. Let is hope Blue Boris has a Majoresque “put up or shut up” moment soon!
November 21, 2021
Absolutely right. The other thing thatâs wrong is the way the word âindependentâ usually means left-leaning and with a public sector background. If you are known not to be left-leaning and you have a private sector background, the (unelected) bodies responsible for appointments will almost always judge you not to be âindependentâ. The effective exclusion of Paul Dacre, successively editor and CEO of the UKâs most successful newspaper from consideration to run Ofcom is a recent example of this phenomenon.
Best probably is to abolish these bodies and have eg a specific department of the home office answerable to a minister responsible for borders. Should be able to save a lot of money like that – and release a good number of people for productive work in the private sector, producing goods and services which people buy out of choice.
November 21, 2021
The Tories are getting hammered in the polls and suddenly they wake up to the fact that the Civil Service, another world class organisation like the NHS is wholly inefficient, nay disruptive and it all over the newspapers.
This is just a cynical displacement exercise to cover up their own failures, happy to be subservient for an easy life dumping the cost on the electorate.
Now that electorate is biting back, surprise surprise, Ministers are allegedly taking action, clearly demonstrating that that self protection is more important than effective and efficient management of the economy.
As the failed candidacy of Paul Dacre and a time server running the NHS plus the condescending leaks about Pritti Patel, you have almost zero chance of doing anything about it.
November 21, 2021
The criminal justice system in both the US and the UK has now been compromised by a political poison from above who see the jury system has a barrier to their determined aims.
Who exactly is in charge when the separation of powers are being deliberately blurred to assert political control over a jury system that delivers the ‘wrong verdict’
Our kind host chooses to focus on issues that revolve around the fiscal and economic but there are issues are far greater importance that have become existential in nature.
Openly agreeing with one verdict (some months ago) and then disagreeing and condemning the verdict of a free jury is so utterly dangerous that I cannot believe commentators remain silent about this pernicious development.
November 21, 2021
Answer to your question John, appears to be no one.
I appreciate the pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works, but it has also bought to a head so many failures in Government, of Government policy, competence, even thought processes.
You correctly highlight the major topics, but it goes far, far deeper, right through the whole of the Government, Civil Service and Local Government workings, which all appear to not be fit for purpose, as they do not serve the population any more, they appear to just serve themselves, customer service and satisfaction is low or non existent because they hold all of the cards, we have to pay no matter what they do, or how they behave or perform.
Anyone who has worked in a commercial organisation immediately sees the difference in mindset, if they ever get employed or work for a Government or Local Authority Department.
Likewise the legal system is letting down the Police, who are in turn letting down the public. Simply because of the failure to punish crime, where often the fine delivered by the Courts (when and if it eventually it gets to Court) does not even cover the arresting officers wages, let alone all the overheads.
Illegal immigration ! no more needs to be said !
November 21, 2021
Alan, indeed. The police now have to ask themselves 44 questions before handcuff in a suspect. Do they think it’s an easy task arresting a violent offender while often on duty alone? So now they might think it better to just do nothing rather than facing court action for making an arrest. You couldn’t make it up. Who in their right minds wants to be a police officer? Much easier these days being a criminal.
November 21, 2021
I don’t expect Cressida Dick has ever made an arrest against a violent criminal in her life, typical of Brams Hill accelerated promotion. (I have arrested criminals trying to hurt me several times.)
There is no time to think.
The last time I did it I ended up in hospital but I managed to detain the notorious gangland criminal single handedly in a radio blackspot, so no assistance. He was trying to nobble a jury in the Old Bailey. The custody sergeant said he was the most violent prisoner he’d ever seen in a 20 year London career.
Shit pay, no respect and a boss who doesn’t understand the job.
Who’d want to be a Met copper now ?
November 22, 2021
NLA
Indeed the Police have my sympathy, especially these days when they get seemingly very little respect from anyone, including the Courts, the Court system with some of the sentences given out.
The simple fact is the population has grown, but the Police and Prison Service has not matched that growth.
Crime has become a lot more complicated, as have the laws which deal with it, and Cyber crime is now growing hugely, bringing even further complication, for what is now a small and undermanned Police force.
November 21, 2021
Ina similar vein we read the British Business Bank could have saved 100s of millions lost on Greensill if their diligence had been more thorough. The response being a fast track response, metaphor for âjust get the money outâ.
Back in the day in a public sector organisation, when Tony Blair was secretly pushing the Euro my boss asked me to write a business case to get a modest grant from the DTI to hold presentations to businesses to promote it.
We were in London so I guess as they also provided civil servant speakers, it was the DTI who initiated the conversation.
When I said that would be difficult, I was told to âwrite anythingâ no one would read it, all they wanted was a piece of paper to justify giving out the money.
I wonder how many similar âpieces of paperâ there are across government?
November 21, 2021
And in other news a report by Net Zero Watch states the offshore development on the Dogger Bank is effectively losing a billion and this is the story across all/most of our offshore wind farms.
In Parliament Boris said the costs had come down substantially. More agitprop to over up the truth?
November 21, 2021
True â wind-farms will require 100% taxpayer subsidy for their entire lifetime
Also note that current petrol stations are provided by fuel supply companies free of subsidy, while EV charge points are provided by local councils using taxpayers money with subsidy
November 21, 2021
Yes I have read that report from the GWPF.
Even the owners and developers don’t challenge the figures. The Dogger Bank in particular is already a distressed investment being worth ÂŁ1billion less than construction costs and stupid Bozo wants to litter the sea bed with them.
November 21, 2021
The “benefits” for Government of the Quangocracy was supposed to be that policy areas were managed by an independent body, thereby making them insulated from democratic control by those pesky voters, and also allowing Ministers to pass the buck when something went wrong. Many of the Quangos were/are implementing EU Regulations which were imposed on us with no democratic control whatsoever.
Blair/Brown used their period of Government to stuff the Quangos with left-wingers and the Governments of Cameron/Clegg, Cameron and May did nothing whatsoever to get rid of them. Despite promising a bonfire, it’s never happened. And that is why, despite voting for Conservative, we don’t get a Conservative Government.
In practice, although the Quangocrats run their fiefdoms, as soon as something goes wrong, the buck gets passed the other way …… to the Minister who is nominally in charge.
Who is in charge of the Clattering Train? It certainly isn’t Johnson and his Government of 2nd raters.
it looks like it is still the EU (since EU law was transposed into UK law under the Brexit deal and they’ve done nothing to scrap it) and Blair/Brown because they appointed most of the Quangocrats. Although, even when this so-called Conservative Government gets an opportunity to appoint someone genuinely independent or with a more conservative background they fail to do it. Which is why the new head of the NHS was the deputy of her predecessor, who failed to prepare for a pandemic.
November 21, 2021
At present our nation is drifting. The captain is only thinking about writing his book on Shakespeare. Most MPs do not have any real life experience and can only talk, and they do talk, on the periphery of the many problems that our nation has. Relying on the civil service to sort things out and creating more quangos is failing. What happened to the proposal to withdraw from the EHCR and replace it with our own HR law? I believe that was in a Tory manifesto some years back. The captain just wants to kick the can down the road. We need Dominic Cummings back. He will upset any but will get things done.
November 21, 2021
Who’s in charge? Not the captain. Why the sudden rush to initiate an investigation into why the illegal migrants is becoming such a problem? Nothing to do with Farage on GBNews highlighting the problem? No initiative being shown by the government there. Little is being reported in the MSM. Presumably the editors are told from the top, how high up one can only guess, not to make too much fuss as the plebs might get alarmed. People would begin to wonder if any infrastructure is being planned for to cater for the new, mainly male, population.
November 21, 2021
ECHR only sets basic minimum standards, which are pretty paltry compared with those rights and freedoms in say, the French constitution.
So the problem is, when people started getting down to specifics, you’d end up replacing it with at least the same thing or with a more comprehensive list.
And it would be far flimsier, as it could be struck down at any time by a mere majority in a Parliament elected by as few as a quarter of the electorate.
That is why previous attempts have been quietly put to one side.
November 22, 2021
One advantage would that UK courts would be the ones in charge rather than a foreign court.
November 21, 2021
Well said – in fact we’d all love to know Who is really in charge?
It often appears that monisters are being led by the nose, by some unknown force, and don’t actually understand the real issues.
It’s an actual disgrace that Parliament has created so many quangos, to dispatch, give away, the authority we gave them, to unknown (to the general public) unelected bureaucrats. We have no jurisdiction over such people, and nor does it seem that Parliament is interested in controlling them, having given away a problem they’d rather keep it at long arms length.
We cannot even trust Parliament to make things better, it seems to believe in ever more unaccountability and confusion of responsibility – A bonfire of quangos is well overdue, but it is Parliament that needs the greatest transformation, for it has failed us far too many times.
November 21, 2021
Yes Sir John, this govt is failing, the only thing it excels at is passing the buck!
As Mrs Thatcher once said, Advisors advise, Ministers decide – the logical extension to that is; Minster decide, managers act (carry out what has been decided).
November 21, 2021
An excellent question Sir John, but the answer is bleeding obvious: the unelected civil servants and the unelected judges. This is why I have said several times that nothing will happen until the government decides that it wants to be in POWER, and not just in office. And to do so it needs to do two simple things:
i. Change the rules so that ministers can sack and appoint their officials (both civil servants and members of ‘independent’ agencies); and
ii. Change the rules so that the Lord Chancellor can sack and appoint judges.
Look at the way the Border Force refuses to push back the boats of the Channel invaders. Or look at the way judges refuse to allow deportations. This is unacceptable in a democracy. Let’s analyse this: in a democracy the people have the supreme power, and they express their views in elections. They periodically choose a government to act on their behalf. So, during it’s term in office, the government must have the same supreme power as the people who elected it. For people who are unelected to thwart the will of the elected government – the representatives of the people – is therefore the same as thwarting the will of the people, and that is totally undemocratic. Ministers must take control. Sack all those who oppose them and get on with giving the people what they voted for.
November 21, 2021
The international body are in charge, didn’t you know John, you now, the IMF for tax and budget, the UN, the WHO and so on.
November 21, 2021
One thing is very clear: if anyone is in charge, it is certainly not the Government.
What you have said this morning is completely true and equally depressing. Why has it taken over two years to get Free Ports going? Why, after nearly two years of Pandemic, are we still being asked to save the NHS? Why has it taken no steps to save itself in this time? Why have taxes on employment been increased by a so caled low tax party? Why do illegal immigrants continue to arrive in ever increasing numbers?
Surely you would think, an open goal for any opposition, but both Government and official opposition are totally ineffective, and so, it seems, is the Conservative party that is allowing all this to happen in its name.
November 21, 2021
In my early career I worked in the Civil Service. Back then we had the feared Time & Motion teams descend on us without notice. They checked what work was being done, was it the right pay grade and could it be done more efficiently. We also had a staff suggestion scheme where we were rewarded for putting forward cost saving initiatives. Back then government departments seemed better run, with less staff and this was before the age of computers. You have to ask what has gone wrong. Go further back and this country ran the British Empire with just a few hundred clerical staff.
November 21, 2021
Indeed Christine, decades ago before computers, we used to run a quarter of the World and the UK with 20,000 Civil Servants.
Now we have very many times that amount in the Civil Service, plus all those in Local Authorities, and they cannot even run England properly !
Perhaps we should dump all of the computers and reduce the number of people who have to waste their time reading e mails which have nothing to do with them, but are included simply to the cover someone’s A***
November 21, 2021
With so many failed promises so much money wasted Boris and the Tory party have no chance in the next election.
November 21, 2021
It’s primarily a problem of confidence in leadership, due to poor decision making and poor leadership. Wacky decision making and U turns are never going to invoke confidence.
If we imagine a world with transparent coherent plans for meeting patient requirements in the NHS, with insurance and patients contributing where appropriate, ditto in social care. A world where illegal immigrants took a step backwards by being caught here or mid-channel (marine transport to a coastal African state which might be crying out for their skills). Where the UK stands up for itself over its territory in Northern Ireland and has no truck with being given instructions over customs arrangements on that territory. Where we have transparent plans to become self-sufficient in food and energy, and can move to close our borders and do it where necessary. Where taxes are reduced so that folk leep more of their own money, giving them incentives to work.
Then we might feel we are being run properly.
November 21, 2021
+1
November 21, 2021
This morning I could ask, specifically, who is in charge of rebutting this kind of hostile propaganda?
https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2021/1120/1262156-border-protests/
“Border protests held amid concerns over UK threat to invoke Article 16”
It should be easy, because it is mostly nonsensical and quite easily rebutted.
But then back in August 2019 Michael Gove let it be known that he was going to set a rapid rebuttal unit:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/08/10/michael-gove-takes-brexit-fake-news-new-rapid-rebuttal-unit/
“Michael Gove will launch a new ‘rapid rebuttal unit’ at the heart of Government on Monday to provide instant responses to “media myths and half-truths” about the risks of a no-deal Brexit.
The new Response Unit will be run by civil servants in the Cabinet Office and will ensure that “the public and businesses are not being alarmed by scare stories or falsehoods “, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose.
Senior Government figures are known to have become frustrated over the anti-no deal stories aired by the BBC in recent days, notably one about cows being slaughtered in Northern Ireland after a no deal exit.”
Of course he never set up that unit, or if he did they never rebutted anything that I noticed, and I would say that most likely he never had the slightest intention to set up any unit or rebut anything.
And if you listen to the chap saying how businesses in Northern Ireland like having access to both the UK and EU markets – I’ve no idea how businesses elsewhere in the UK can possibly export anything to the EU without that special market access enjoyed by businesses in Northern Ireland thanks to the protocol – then the thing to remember that he is repeating a specious line of argument that was helpfully provided first by Michael Gove and then by Brandon Lewis:
https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2021/11/10/the-eu-has-clearly-broken-its-uk-agreement-and-northern-ireland-protocol/#comment-1275202
I seriously wonder not only who is in charge, but whose side they are on, and this is not a new feeling:
https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2018/11/13/the-pound-bounces-around/#comment-972913
“… it is becoming increasingly clear that our Prime Minister Theresa May does not see her role in the Brexit negotiations as being on our side working for our national interests, but more to act as a kind of intermediary to strike compromises between the interests of the UK and those of the EU … “
November 21, 2021
Sir John, I must take issue with your tweet today in which you say: “Ministers have long set a clear policy to end illegal asylum boats.” NO. They have NOT. I have pointed out time and again that government policy will have NO effect until they change the law and disapply all ‘human rights’ rules to illegal migrants (including asylum seekers).
The government only needs to do TWO things to stop the invasion:
i. Declare that the UK will no longer grant either ILR or ELR to anyone who travels through or past a safe country to get here; and
ii. Open a holding centre in a tented camp in Africa to keep all those who arrive here until they are returned to their HOME country (including the likes of Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, etc).
But to do these things the law needs changing to stop the courts interfering, and the government has NO intention of doing this. So all their claims to be trying to stop the invasion are LIES and DISTRACTIONS to fool their gullible supporters. Don’t fall for the government’s lies!
November 21, 2021
X-Tory
Another simple Law, no Benefits of any kind until you, or a direct family member (Mother/Father), have paid into the system for 5 -10 years.
November 21, 2021
Meanning ‘Who determines policy?’
Lobbyists.
November 21, 2021
John, canât back benchers team up to take on these tasks, one quango review each section. With an operational manager in charge of each statistic and fact gathering exercise.
Yesterday a set of comments about water sewerage and fines got me thinking, if companies are fined what happens to the money? It is not only causing problems for that companies customers it is causing problems for the tourism industry for the fishing industry and others. Are they threatened with having their contract reduced or removed if things arenât changed. If money is simply just taken from their profits then what money do they use to invest to make the improvements needed? Do they have to do a money raising issue with their shareholders so they suffer when things go wrong as well as receive profits when things go well? Then the shareholders may insist on improvements being made. They would then have to employ Directors who ensure they donât get exposed to fines. Were people dismissed over it. Just what is the point of Ofwat?
While you are at it, can you look at Probate. There are delays of over a year even with the simplest of estates worth less than ÂŁ200,000 with a clear will, if you want to get the economy moving remove the log-jam, houses are empty because they canât be sold, people are having to pay management fees on empty flats, I have three people just in my office with this issue and solicitors charging a fortune but are saying the log-jam is with government probate departments. Inheritance Tax isnât being paid to the government so why are your government condoning it. If probate people working at home canât step up then hire more people or use outside contractors to process them. We are told constantly by the civil service unions workers are more productive working from home, theyâve been working and paid throughout covid so why is there a back log. What can be causing the delay in estates under ÂŁ200,000? John, you should ask how many estates worth less than ÂŁ200,000 have been waiting for probate over a year. One young man has been waiting 18 months and a sale has fallen through. Canât they bring back some early retired people from these departments to sort it out if peak covid has caused the problem. Actually what even needs sorting out if there is an uncontested will? Why canât a property from the estate with a will be sold immediately and the money held up if necessary?
The reality is too many people are not as productive we are reading some people have two jobs whilst working from home and setting up little businesses on the side and only giving a few hours to their full time job per day.
November 21, 2021
We are witnessing a Government too cowardly to deal with either internal or external affairs even where it means breaking election promises or leaving the country in a weakened or precarious position.
Too cowardly to stop the invasion of illegal migrants by locking them up for having no identification and instead taking the easy option of giving them 4 star hotel accommodation, free healthcare, ÂŁ40/week pocket money and the complete freedom to roam our streets.
Too cowardly to introduce legislation to allow deportations of serious criminals and illegal immigrants and follow it through.
Too cowardly to stand up to the French and the EU over fishing and Northern Ireland.
Too cowardly to stand up to the construction industry and accept that the whole of the out-of-date, environmentally unfriendly HS2 should be cancelled because of the change in working practices.
Too cowardly to stand up to the Marxist environmental activists and green corporates so continues with the economy destroying unilateral ânet zeroâ.
Too cowardly to control and change the civil service and quangos so they work for the benefit of the UK.
The Government just wants an easy life.
November 22, 2021
but they aren’t getting one, and will be given a long break at the next GE.
November 21, 2021
The two new government departments âOffice of the UN-IPCCâ and the âOffice of the Greenâ might not actually be in charge but they do dictate current & future policy
November 21, 2021
Your submission today suggests you are as frustrated and disillusioned as the majority of our population. When speculating on cause I look to two areas. First there is a strong residual resentment in the CS that we are no longer part of the EU. I suspect many continue to frustrate democracy at any available opportunity. The second is a lack of leadership and direction from the top. It is one thing to give rousing speeches, but there is a need for a policy (plan) in each and other disciplines you mention and then to delegate the execution to ministers capable of doing what is deemed necessary. Then whatever is necessary must be supported to resolution. It all has election implications in two and a half years hence, so your wake up call is highly relevant.
November 21, 2021
SHRINK the public sector by 50%.
Stop the automatic gongs and stupendous pensions for undeserving public service bosses for simply doing what they are paid to do.
A decent PM would fire a Minister for failing. When was the last Fail fired? Apart from Hancock of course who ensured his own welcome demise.
What about Priti Useless who fails EVERY DAY?
Replace the PM, but with whom? Every other PM acceptable to the currant Parliamentary Party is bound to be a failure in waiting.
Replace ConLibLabSNP? Now you’re talking and get MP’s in charge with experience of the real world, like our kind host.
November 21, 2021
I’ve found out who’s in charge –
”Academy defends headteacher’s ÂŁ158k pay packet as row breaks out -Liverpool Echo 21/11/21”
It must be this primary school head teacher as she earns more than the PM
November 21, 2021
Peter Hitchens blog 21st November:
“They announce targets to reduce illegal immigration, which they never meet. They announce other targets, for the deportation of illegal arrivals, which they never fulfil…And this is typical of all our politics…
Unless at some point the real concerns of normal people find a peaceful, rational and responsible political outlet in countries such as ours, there will be serious trouble thanks to this chasm between what is promised and what actually happens.”
November 21, 2021
The government awarded itself draconian dictatorial powers overnight which it used to lockdown the entire country, wreck the economy and destroy many businesses. It still uses them to threaten citizens with the loss of their livelihood if they refuse an experimental medical procedure.
These powers were extended recently with a laugh and a giggle in Parliament but no debate or vote.
We are being told that on the issues that matter to the people like illegal immigration, defunding the BBC etc the governments hands are tied.
Might I suggest the government awards itself emergency powers to untie their hands and remove the obstacles that are preventing action.
Thank you.
November 21, 2021
+1
November 21, 2021
+1, but maybe government doesn’t want to remove those obstacles.
November 21, 2021
Dan. The extension of the Corona Virus Act was perhaps the most insulting thing I believe I have ever heard from the UK Parliament. An absolute disgrace which summed up the low regard we are held in by our ‘representatives’.
November 21, 2021
âWho is in charge?â
The EU.
November 21, 2021
Ofgem exemplifies the problems with quangos where dozens of energy suppliers are going bust with liabilities falling on other suppliers’ customers or taxpayers due to Ofgem’s failure to check the viability of these start-ups. Estimates of the costs have been in the region of ÂŁ1bn. According to administrators around ÂŁ90m of customers’ advance payments disappeared in the case of one supplier.
November 22, 2021
Of the 17 UK energy companies that failed this autumn (Avro Energy, Green, Peopleâs Energy, Pure Planet, Daligas, Goto Energy, Utility Point, Igloo Energy, PFP Energy, Symbio Energy, Zebra Power, MoneyPlus Energy, Enstroga, Neon Reef, Social Energy, Ampower, OmniEnergy) how many were really âstart-upâ companies, how many were the equivalent of the 459 companies that appeared in 2020 and 2021 to provide Covid-19 testing kits for domestic use and travellers?
How many of these energy companies had actually considered the possibility of gas and electricity prices at source going up when they were advertising energy prices a few pence lower to sign new customers? These 17 companies were not producing anything themselves, they were suppliers in names only, were just providing accounting and billing services, were just the type of SMEs that Sir John appears so often to be calling for, possibly just an office with Mom and Pop in front of a computer dealing with spreadsheets of consumers.
To put all the blame on OfGem is rather short-sighted when these âenergy supplying companiesâ had clearly not done a proper assessment of what the possible ups and downs of the gas/electricity market could mean to them. More often than not the reason for these âenergy start-up companiesâ must have been âThe market has opened, weâre gonna get richâ.
What is really a shame is that at the end the consumers will pay the bills.
November 22, 2021
They are ruined by the price cap.
There isn’t a proper market.
I’m surprised you dont understand this heffy.
Try running a business where the government says you cannot increase your prices when your wholesale prices rise greatly suddenly and unexpectedly
How would you manage that problem and create success?
Did you predict this market change?
November 27, 2021
âThey are ruined by the price cap. There isnât a proper marketâ: Indeed youâre right, but one could have expected that the businesspeople who had started these companies after the utility market was privatised would have taken all kinds of insurance, either exterior to the business or as âan internal mattress of cashâ, to protect their companies from the type of risks that a constrained market could bring.
As a businessman yourself I guess you would not have gone into this type of endeavours without a protection. Or would you have?
Iâm surprised you didnât consider these companiesâ absence of diligence in considering these relative straightforward risks before you tried to find excuses for their failings.
November 21, 2021
âGiven the growing gap between what the public wants and what some of these independent bodies deliver, Ministers need to take more control.â
The Government is clearly hiding behind the independent bodies because they do not want to implement what the public wants, despite any promises they make at elections.
To understand the Governmentâs thinking and (non-) actions it is important always to keep in mind that they consider the most important issue is to save the planet by cutting net CO2 emissions to zero by 2050, unilaterally if necessary and trumps energy security and prosperity.
November 21, 2021
I’ve just written to Anne-Marie Trevelyan. as follows:
Dear Mrs Trevelyan
I am writing to you in your capacity as Secretary of State for International Trade in order to draw your attention to this article:
https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/article-16-uk-rhetoric-dialled-down
in which it is stated:
“While it would take the EU months to introduce tariffs on British imports, ministers have been warned that more stringent border checks could be unleashed “in a matter of hours” by member states if Johnson went ahead with suspending parts of the treaty agreed as part of Brexit talks.
An industry figure with knowledge of negotiations said officials were “shit scared” of the potential impact this would have on the flow of goods into the UK in the run-up to Christmas, with supply chain disruption caused by labour shortages already resulting in empty shelves.
“Port authorities in France, Belgium and Holland can escalate customs procedures, SPS procedures and summary declarations overnight,â they said.”
My understanding is that the EU collectively and its member states individually, including the three named, are bound by the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, and according to its Article 7 on the “Release and clearance of goods”, and then especially Article 7.4 on “Risk Management”, that kind of action by France, Belgium and Holland would be a flagrant breach of that WTO treaty unless there were objective grounds for escalating customs procedures.
As it is difficult to see how suspension of the Irish protocol could significantly increase the risk associated with UK goods crossing the Channel, or indeed continental goods coming in this direction, the “more stringent border checks” which are threatened could only serve an illegitimate punitive purpose.
Before this goes any further, might it not be a good idea to publicly warn these governments against any such breach of their international obligations?
Yours sincerely
Dr D R Cooper
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tradfa_e/tradfa_e.htm#II
“ARTICLE 7 RELEASE AND CLEARANCE OF GOODS …
… 4 Risk Management
4.1 Each Member shall, to the extent possible, adopt or maintain a risk management system for customs control.
4.2 Each Member shall design and apply risk management in a manner as to avoid arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination, or a disguised restriction on international trade.
4.3 Each Member shall concentrate customs control and, to the extent possible other relevant border controls, on high-risk consignments and expedite the release of low-risk consignments. A Member also may select, on a random basis, consignments for such controls as part of its risk management.
4.4 Each Member shall base risk management on an assessment of risk through appropriate selectivity criteria. Such selectivity criteria may include, inter alia, the Harmonized System code, nature and description of the goods, country of origin, country from which the goods were shipped, value of the goods, compliance record of traders, and type of means of transport.”
It will be interesting to see if I get any response from her department.
November 21, 2021
Denis, do you not realise that, at the moment, the best place to have a UK exporting business is Northern Ireland (NI)?
Firstly, it has unrestricted access to the rest of the UK. The Protocol doesn’t give a toss about what goes out of Northern Ireland to Britain.
Secondly, The Protocol allows NI to remain inside the EU Single Market and Customs Union, giving it near unrestricted access to the EU27 for goods. NI currently has the best of both worlds, implementing Article 16 is the last thing NI business needs.
Stasis at this point in time, would suit NI business just fine. Alas, the rest of the EU’s trading parties would demand; claiming WTO terms, the same deal as NI. The EU 27 will not countenance that.
Hopefully, the DUP (who still believe this Planet is only six thousand years old); will be wiped out at the next set of elections, leaving the prospect of a united Ireland closer. The EU wants it; the US Congress wants it. Brexit UK is somewhat dependant on both of those countries in more ways than one.
November 22, 2021
And that “near unrestricted access to the EU27 for goods” is worth what, in terms of overall impact on GDP?
Why not set your number crunchers to work on that?
Or: https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2021/09/17/letter-to-michael-gove/#comment-1260369
This “best of both worlds” rubbish was started by the totally untrustworthy Michael Gove:
https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2021/11/10/the-eu-has-clearly-broken-its-uk-agreement-and-northern-ireland-protocol/#comment-1275202
Note there:
“We come back to the same thing, that the whole of the UK/NI economy must be run for the convenience of the small minority of companies that export to the EU.”
November 21, 2021
The first time in years of contributions that we find out the Great Denis Cooper is a Doctor.
Very modest of you, Denis. Thank you for your good work.
November 22, 2021
But only a chemist, not a real doctor!
November 22, 2021
Why not put the Doctorate – he presumably earned it!
November 22, 2021
A colleague stoutly maintained that he was called up to the front of the hall so that the Queen Mum could personally award him the title, and so he insisted on using it even after management said that people should no longer use academic titles. But to avoid potential confusion I am “Mr” to the NHS.
November 21, 2021
Triton knoll.Total planned investment ÂŁ2bn. Capacity 855mw(90*9.5). Say ÂŁ2.4bn per GW.
Adjust for a lagging capacity factor being prudent say 50% (historic https://energynumbers.info/uk-offshore-wind-capacity-factors) ÂŁ4.8bn a GW.
So ÂŁ25bn spent on wind would give us the FTE equivalent of 5GW of generating capacity. Hinkley 3.2 GW is likely to cost the taxpayer much more at ÂŁ30bn present value of top up payments) and estimated but unknown cleanup costs of ÂŁ7bn. (37/3.2=12bn a GW).
Renewable cost curves are still falling with nuclear only increasing.
If we stop destroying prematurely perfectly good fossil fuel plants which could be used for unforseen energy gap periods & develop other mitigation strategies and various storage solutions. We would have a policy of common sense.
If a small SMR’s could also be made portable (ships & submarines have them) with suitable connections & protection it could be used for disaster relief as well.
Oh that could have been based on a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and or hospital Mercy ship.
Maybe if that was funded by our foreign aid we could moor it in the Thames and or other 3rd world areas with large waiting or treatment lists.
November 21, 2021
Anon :
âSo ÂŁ25bn spent on wind would give us the FTE equivalent of 5GW of generating capacity.â
Your calculated figure for the cost of wind energy does not take into account the energy consumed and money which needs to be spent to mitigate the intermittency of wind both in the short-term (up to a few hours) and the long-term (several days perhaps).
Short-term backup using batteries is very, very expensive and non-fossil fuel technology does not yet exist for long-term backup.
So as yet there are no actual costings for an electrical energy generation system based upon wind and non-fossil fuel backup.
Currently fossil fuelled generators are backing up wind and the more wind turbines which are added to the grid the more fossil fuel generators are needed to be on stand-by (often running âhotâ as they may be needed at a momentâs notice) and the less efficiently they can be run.
The big advantage of nuclear is that it provides a weather independent steady, consistent, uninterrupted supply of power. It also uses far less space than wind and is the safest of all fuel types by deaths/TWhr.
Reading the Governmentâs âNet Zero Strategyâ I believe their solution to intermittent wind energy involves the use of âdemand managementâ.
November 21, 2021
Similar to the Akademik Lomonosov? It appears to be providing electricity and heat to a city of 100,000 inhabitants. With 9m people in the Greater London area, do you envisage mooring 90 Akademik Lomonosov between Gravesend and Kew?
November 21, 2021
Who is in charge ? Not Boris apparently who briefed the papers yesterday that he is angry the migrant crisis hasnât been fixed as if somehow it is someone elseâs fault.
November 21, 2021
I now doubt this government can ever recover, although alas that does not mean it is certain to be voted out in an election.
November 21, 2021
If the Tory (= weak green left-leaning liberal) party doesnât get a grip soon, it is finished. We are tired of Johnsonâs endless futile blustering, unkept promises, money thrown at the NHS, HS2, net zero etc, and a lack of coherent policies. Years after we left the EU our borders are as porous as ever – there is no credible strategy to deal with illegal immigration – most government departments are bastions of blistering incompetence and civil servants unaccountable for failure and waste – DVLA, PPE procurement, track and trace, smart motorways etc etc. In short this government is a disgrace both to its supporters and to the nation. Far removed from reality, they appear to believe they are doing a good job.
November 21, 2021
+1
November 21, 2021
A serious question on the subject of Parliamentary procedures
Apart from a vague process – even now the subject of some debate – to recall MPs by constituents, are there any powers that can be used by the public to censor or remove from office a minister that is seen to be working against the best interests of the country?
What powers does the Queen still have to close Parliament down, and do we petition her?
November 21, 2021
Good questions Sir John and good reason why we need root and branch changes leading to a government that represents the interests of the British people rather than those of the globalists such as the COP attendees.
November 21, 2021
Apologies; meant for Sir John direct.
November 21, 2021
Indeed BH.
November 21, 2021
The lights are on but there’s nobody at home.
November 21, 2021
âThe Health SecretaryâŠ.âŠseeks more money to get the waiting lists down without saying how the money will be spent or by how much waiting lists will fall.â
The more the Government does the more people are employed by the Government, many in empire building unproductive jobs.
This not only reduces the number of people employed in the wealth creating part of the economy it also causes shortages of labour in key trades and reduces the effective tax take.
At the same time the public sector becomes less and less efficient until we reach the point where it is like a Communist country or a banana republic and we find that it is unresponsive to customer demands and any money spent just disappears into thin air, as we are now experiencing with the NHS.
November 21, 2021
I’ve read Lord Frost’s article in the Mail on Sunday:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10225135/LORD-FROST-need-urgency-EU-sustain-peace-Northern-Ireland.html
and I note that he says nothing at all about goods produced in Northern Ireland being taken across the land border into the Irish Republic.
He writes:
“Thereâs a simple solution. Goods which both we and the EU agree arenât going to leave Northern Ireland should not be treated as if they were moving from one country to another â because they are not.
Goods going on to Ireland should be checked, in the Irish Sea, to protect the EUâs single market and to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Thatâs what we have proposed.”
But the flow of goods coming into the province from outside is just one contribution to the flow of goods out of the province into the Republic; goods actually produced in the province form another contribution, and it is to ensure that those locally produced goods will also comply with EU standards that economic activity in that part of the UK is still conducted under EU rules with oversight by the EU court.
The simple fact is that at present THE WRONG FLOW OF GOODS IS BEING CHECKED AND CONTROLLED to try to weed out any that would not meet EU requirements; export controls would catch any unsuitable goods produced in the province as well those brought in from outside, while import controls have to be applied to all of the goods coming in, including the great majority which are not going on to the Republic, but they will not look at the goods produced in the province.
I’m tired of saying this; it’s so bloody obvious that it beggars belief that the UK government does not also understand it; so why do they keep wasting their time and energy, and our patience, on endlessly fiddling with a fundamentally flawed system to try to get it to work when it never will?
November 21, 2021
” The NHS needs to get the waiting lists down, the railways need to tailor services to changed demand and border force needs to stop the illegals.”
It should be Prime Minister Johnson saying this.
November 21, 2021
Sorry, Sir John, but on this topic you are completely wrong.
The correct solution is for Ministers to appoint the people to run public services like the NHS, set clear objectives that MUST be delivered and if they are not, the people appointed must be replaced.
The only responsibility for the minister should be to set the parameters for the management to achieve, given the allocated budget, and then have regular meetings to ensure that the service remains on track.
As in the private sector, a failure to deliver results should result in changes at the top.
I have read in the Sunday Times today that the public sector has grown by at least 200,000 jobs, roughly the same number as the current shortfall in the private sector. This is ridiculous : Efficiency savings, mainly through new technology, should ensure that public service employment is, at worst static, or better still, falling.
Our economy needs smaller government not bigger.
November 21, 2021
The Civil Service needs a mass cull, get out the dripping wet liberals and put in some people who will do what they are told.
November 21, 2021
Who is in charge?
No one. It is a rudderless ship. What are we going to do about energy? Err, close the mines, stop work in the North Sea, bung up some windmills, commission one incredibly expensive (already massively over budget) nuclear power station and pray the wind blows.
What about the NHS? Throw money at it.
Water and sewage? Let âem pump it into the rivers.
Immigration? Do nothing – a massive increase in population is the only way we can get GDP up. Let it rip.
Transport? HS2!!! Thatâs a big project. Electric cars? Subsidise âem? Whereâs the power coming from? People can stick a dynamo on a peloton bike and charge their cars in the evening.
November 22, 2021
mistake after mistake….Will the real Conservative PM please stand up.
November 22, 2021
In all of these areas the Government needs the strength of character to insist on the right frugal policies and the determination to implement them. This country has a massive establishment, sheltering behind the Queen’s skirts and unmolested since the time of Oliver Cromwell, that gets in the way of a meritocracy and undermines the country’s future.
When are we going to see a blueprint for cleaning the Augean stables?
When are we going to see repeal of many of the EU Laws and Directives imposed since Maastricht?
When are we going to use our sovereignty to the full?
When are we going to rid ourselves of the ECJ and enforce immigration control in the way that we want?
November 23, 2021
Hi Si4 John
Look at the Health and Social Care Bill – appointment of ICBâs